Baggage truck



I@atenlie/5l Sept. 1d, i926.

Uhlllil@ STI-nihil saveur orties.

BAGGAGE TRUCK.

Application filed September l?, 1925.

My invention relates to trucks, and particularly to trucks of the character where-- in it is desirable to provide steering or guiding wheels at each end thereof so that they may be operated with equal facility from either end.

@ne object of my invention is to provide a truclt having the axles at each of its ends sviveled, together with means for rigidly locking either of said axles, in transverse alignment, against swiveling movement.

Another object of my invention is to provide a swivel lock which is automatically movable to unlocked and locked positions, respectively, as the tongue or handle of the vehicle to which the device is applied, is actuated to pull the truclr or is moved to inoperative position.

Referring to the drawing Fig. 1 is a view,

partially in side elevation and partially in section, of a baggage truck equipped with my invention; Fig. 2 is an end elevational view thereof with the vehicle tongue removed, showing the locking members in operative positions; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the locking members in their inoperative positions; Fig. Llis a fragmentary plan view showing the manner in which the handle engages the locking members to move them to inoperative position; 5 is a plan view of one of the swivel members of the fifth wheel; and Fig. 6 is a side elevational view,A on an enlarged scale, of one of the locking members.

I have shown my invention as applied to a vehicle of the baggage truck type having a body or platform portion 6 that is provided with the usual standards 7 at its ends. Bolsters or sills 6 are secured to the underside of the body 6.

Fifth wheels are provided at each end of the truck, and the upper plate 1,0 of each of these wheels is connected to the bolster 8 and the blocks 6a that are fastened to the body 6. The lower swivel member 11 of the fifth wheel 9 is connected to what might be termed a truck bolster 12 and also by means ofv a strutv 18 which, at its upper end, is bolted to the member 11 and its lower end is connected to the bolster. Yoke members 14 are secured at their Vupper ends to the blocks 6a and adjacent to their lower ends extend around the underside of the swivel member 11 and are connected through the upper Plate l0 to the blocks 6a as indicated Serial No. 56,891.

bolster 12. Axles 16 are secured to the lower side ofthe truck holsters 12 and the usual wheels 1'? mounted thereon. fatop lugs 16 extend downwardly from the swivel member f Y,

1l in position to engage the edges of-'the yoke ill to limit the swiveling movement` of 'he arles.

A handle 19 is connected to the axle 16 by means of braces or tie members 20 whose inner ends are bolted to the axle and through the outer ends of which a bolt 21 extends to serve as a pivotal mounting for the handle.

Brace members 22, in the form of a yoke, are bolted at their upper ends to the fifth wheel 11 and at their lower ends are bolted to the members 20. A pin 23 extends through the members 22 to limit the upward movement of the inner end of the handle i9. The Vhandle 19 may be of the usual form, weighted at the point 19a to normally hold the handle in its uprightv position, as

indicated at the left hand side of Fig. 1.

rlChe parts thus far described may be operated somewhat after the manner oi' the usual form of baggage truck, but provision must -be made for iirmly locking the fifth wheels against swiveling movement, since when` a truck is being pulled from one end, even a slight swiveling movement of the wheels at the other end would cause the wheels to bind on their axles and would perhaps also deiiect said other end of the truck to a dangerous position, such as against a train if the truck were employed on a station platform, or off the platform. By providing a iifth'wheel at each end, the truck can be readily operated from either end, thus avoiding the necessity of pushing it backward, which would be dangerous on station platforms since injury to passengers might result. Also, the direction of movement of a truck is more dimcult to control when being steered from the rear end. On the other hand, these trucks arev often used in close quarters where there is insufficient room to turn them completely around.

In order to loclr the fifth wheels I provide slots at each side thereof in such position that when the axles 16 are in perfeet alignment with respect to the holsters swiveling movement. A otally connected to tbe bolster l2 by a pin S, the notches 25 are also in alignment. One set ot notches would be suthcient foreach litth wheel but l prefer to provide two sets whose peripheral locations in the titth wheel membersare shown more clearly in Figs. 4 and 5.y This arrangement permits ot two locks for each iitth wheel and theretore renders it more certain that the wheels will be securely locked when desired, and also permits convenient manual actuation loit' the `locking bars to be hereinafter de` scribed, trom either side ot' the handle i9.

The manner in which the liitth wheels are automatically locked and unlocked will now be described. The notches or slots 25 of the lower swivel member ll are normally in alignment with the notches in the upper .plate i0 so that locking bars 26 may enter the aligned notches as shown in Fig. 2, to rigidly hold thc lower plate il, and con sequently the truck bolster l2, against The bars 26 are pivor bolt '27. Guide plates 28 ,are secured to the bolster l2 and serve as guides for .the bars 26. A. washer 29 is interposed between the upper portion ot the bar 26 and the bolster 12 to serve as a bearing member, and the upper end oi the bar 26 is therefore otl'set in order to lie closely against the bolster.

At their lower ends, each of the locking' .bars 26 is provided with a pin or bolt 30' that carries a rotatable sleeve 8l. The bolt 30 and sleeve 3l are ot' such diameter that they have suiiicient weight to normally hold the bars 26 in lockingposition, -as shown in-Fig. 2. The truck handle'i) is provided with a transversely extending bar 32 which,

when the outer end ot the handle is lowered, is brought into engagement with the undersuritaces oit the sleeves 3l to thereby7 move the bars 26 about their pivots yand out ot engagement with the notches 25, the sleeves 3l serving as antifriction rollers when engaged by the cross bar 32.

lt will thus be seen that when the operator grasps the handle to pull the truc-k, the lower end ot such` handle is swung' to eiiect release movement of the locking bars at that end ot the truck. 0n the other hand, the handle at the opposite end ot the truck will be in substantially upright position, by

Le'eaeri reason ot its weighted portion 19, and the titth wheels at such end therefore locked.

The foregoing arrangement insures against accidents resultingtrom the operator carelessly leaving the tii'th wheel at one end ot the truck unlocked, While he is operating the truck from its other end. Furthermore, the operator can at all times manipulate the truck from -either end with the asurance that the locking members for the litth wheels are in their proper positions.

l claim as my invention:

l. The combination with a vehicle having a body portion, a swiveled axle and a tongue, oit' means i'or locking said axle against swiveling movement, comprising. a locking device mounted independently ot the tongue, and means associated with said tongue for afituating said locking device upon Inovemont of the tongue. l

The combination with a vehicle having a swiveled axle and a tongue, ot' a .looking device ier normally holding said yairle af Frist swiveling movement and mounted in'. epenoently ot the tongue, and `means operative upon manipulation ot the handle to pull the truclr tor movingsaid locking de- 1-fice to release position.

rlhe combination with a vehicle having an upper swivel member, and a lower swivel member, each provided with offset portions, ot a pivoted tongue, means tor locking said swivel members against relative movement, comprising a lever pivotally mounted intermediate its ends and having one otl kits endsv adailited to engage said offset portions, the other end ot the lever being yieldably held in one extreme. 1)osition ot movement and disposed in the path ot movement of the tongue.

i. The combination with a vehicle body in ovidcd with a swiveled axle and with a tongue normally held out ot horizontal position, ot' a locking device tor said swivel member, and means tormoving saidlocking device to release position when the tongue is moved to substantially horizontalposition, the said locking device being supported independently ot the tongue.

in testimony whereof l, the said- CHARLES A. Nro/Henson, have hereunto set my hand.

oniinnns a. menor-.soit

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